Exploration

This Is What It's Like to Get Shot in the Stomach

You can most definitely survive a gunshot to the stomach -- particularly when you're wearing a bulletproof vest -- but did you know you can you do so with a sense of style? Meet Miguel Caballero, dubbed the "Armani of Bulletproof Clothing," who develops stylish and bulletproof apparel for businessmen, heads of state, and other [...]

You can most definitely survive a gunshot to the stomach - particularly when you're wearing a bulletproof vest - but did you know you can you do so with a sense of style? Meet Miguel Caballero, dubbed the "Armani of Bulletproof Clothing," who develops stylish and bulletproof apparel for businessmen, heads of state, and other dignitaries who can sometimes be "marked for death" - including Steven Seagal, one of Caballero's loyal customers. On a trip to Colombia, I was privileged to tour around his facility of impenetrable materials in Bogota, where he personally gives journalists a demonstration of his work - by shooting them point blank in the stomach with a .38 caliber handgun:

You may have seen this video on other sites with stories about Caballero's bulletproof apparel, but no one has really gone into what it feels like to be shot while wearing his demo leather jacket. I'm happy to report here on Discovery that the sensation is like getting jabbed in the stomach with a blunt pencil eraser really quickly. It hurts, but not too severely and not for too long; the demonstration is over before you know it - especially since Caballero tries to psyche out all his participants by firing after the count of "two" instead of "three" like he says he will.

A bullet turns into a ball of lead when impacting Caballero's impenetrable jacket. Photo: Erik R. Trinidad

You would think that there would be more of a trauma from such an impact - I didn't even bruise from the stunt - but Caballero's patented bulletproof panels use a system of layered, flexible plastics that disperse a bullet's physical energy laterally. The top secret materials, which are 75% lighter than kevlar, are used to fortify suits, tuxedos, and sportcoats -and even custom items like underwear, ties, tropical shirts, and a kimono (for Steven Seagal). Some clothes can be upgraded to be impenetrable against mini-uzis, knife stabbings, and even needles.

These stylish, bulletproof clothes come at a price of course - but if you have the means of Bruce Wayne and the desires of Batman, you should probably set up an appointment with Miguel Caballero and schedule that trip to Colombia now. [via The Global Trip]